Gambling in Malta

Maltese Online Casino Licensing

Malta is one of the hubs on the online gambling
industry. Malta licenses over 250 online casinos, an
amazing number considering that it licensed none in the
year 2000.

But the United Kingdom placed Malta on its
"white list" of countries with gambling statutes as
stringent as its own, so that gambling operators and
gamblers alike trust the licensing authorities on Malta.

Facts About Malta

Malta is an island in the central Mediterranean Sea,
located between Sicily to the north and Libya to the
south. The population of Malta is somewhere just over
400,000 citizens.

Malta is part of the British Commonwealth, having
been a key naval base in the latter stages of the
British Empire. Others who have ruled the island are the
Roman Empire, the Vandal barbarians, Arab Muslims,
French medieval nobility, the Spanish kingdom, the
Catholic military order known as the Knights of St. John
or Knights of Malta, the French under Napoleon and the
British Empire.

The island of Malta was a key base for the U.K.
during World War II, as it was a base for naval and air
units, as well as a staging ground for the Allies
invasions of Sicily and Italy.

Malta joined the European Union in 2004, and
continues to liberalize its economy to meet EU
requirements. The Maltese economy is based mainly on the
export of cotton and tobacco, while its shipyards
industry remains an important economic interest.

Casino Gambling in Malta

Malta's economy is strongly supported by gambling
money, but this gambling money comes because Malta makes
sure the games are fair. Therefore, Malta combines
permissive gambling laws with vigorous regulations.

That being said, Malta has only four casinos in the
country. That's because the population of Malta has a
tiny population, so that there isn't much need for more
than four casinos. Tourism is a major facet of the
Maltese economy, so the casinos are often filled up with
tourists.

Casinos in Malta

The Casino at Portomaso (Portomaso) - The
Portomaso Casino offers 150 gaming machines and 3 poker
tables. The contact information is +356 213 837 77,
while their website is found at
www.portomasocasino.com.

Casino di Venezia (Vittoriosa) - The Casino di
Venezia has 10 table games, including poker, blackjack,
punto banco, roulette and trente quarante. The casino
also has 121 gaming machine. The contact number at the
Venezia is +356 218 055 80 and the website address is at
www.casinodivenezia.com.mt.

Horse Tracks in Malta

With it proximity to Europe and Italy in particular,
Malta offers pari-mutuel and horsetrack gambling. The
only horsetrack in Malta is at the Marsa Race Track in
Marsa.

Sports Gambling in Malta

Online sports books also operate from servers in
Malta. Inclusion in the European Union makes Malta a
prime spot for internet sportsbooks to seek licensing.

The Maltese Lottery

Malta has one major lottery, which is Maltco
Lotteries Limited. Maltco runs all state lotteries for
Malta, taking over for the Department of Public Lotto.

Malta offers instant lotteries known as Scratchers,
along with the Lotto and the Super 5 Lottery. The newest
lottery is the Fixed Odds Betting U*Bet. The lottery
industry are regulated by the Lotteries and Gaming
Authority of Malta.

Maltco started in 2004 and is owned by 73% by the
shareholders of Intralot S.A. and 27% by selected
Maltese businessmen.